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Los Angeles: John McCain has begun rallying dispirited Republicans behind him, while Democratic rival Barack Obama has made scant progress building new support, leaving the presidential race closer than before. Obama is leading 45 per cent to 43 per cent, according to a new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll.
The survey highlights Obama's vulnerability on the question of his readiness to lead the nation. Less than half of the registered voters polled think the first-term Illinois senator has the right experience to be president, while 80 per cent believe McCain, a four-term senator from Arizona, does.
The poll also illustrates some racial undercurrents that confront Obama as he strives to become the first black president. Nine per cent of voters say they would feel uncomfortable voting for a black candidate. Most voters say they know people who feel that way. Nearly one in five say the country is not ready to elect a black president.
Despite his challenges, Obama holds many advantages on the eve of two critical events: his selection of a running mate and his formal crowning as the Democratic nominee at the party's national convention next week in Denver.
By Labour Day, Obama hopes to regain - and build upon - the momentum he had after he defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in June.
Swing bloc
For now, voters favour Obama on the economy, the issue they rank as most important. Also, independents, a crucial swing bloc, are leaning toward Obama. And Obama's supporters remain more enthusiastic than McCain's, a sign that the Democratic candidate may be able to turn out more voters.
The Republican Party's dismal standing under President George W. Bush also remains a drag on McCain's candidacy: Seventy-five per cent of voters say the country has veered onto the wrong track. "McCain has more experience, but experience isn't everything," poll respondent John Ritts of Towanda, Pennsylvania, said in a follow-up interview. A retired teacher and former Republican whose dissatisfaction with Bush drove him to switch to independent, Ritts supports Obama.
Obama's 45 per cent to 43 per cent advantage over McCain falls within the margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. (In June, Obama was ahead by 12 points in the Times/Bloomberg poll, but other surveys at the time showed him with a narrower lead.)
More striking, however, is the drop in Obama's favourable rating. It has slid from 59 per cent to 48 per cent since the June poll. At the same time, his negative rating has risen from 27 per cent to 35 per cent. The bulk of that shift stems from Republicans souring on Obama amid ferocious attacks on the Democrat by McCain and his allies.
Negative publicity
In recent weeks, McCain forces have portrayed Obama as a naive celebrity who is unprepared to be president in dangerous times. A Navy aviator who was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, McCain has also suggested that Obama would put personal ambition ahead of America's best interests.
With that backdrop, the poll found 35 per cent of voters have questions about how patriotic Obama is. Just 9 per cent wonder how patriotic McCain is.
McCain's ratings have remained steady: Forty-six per cent of voters have a positive feeling about him; 38 per cent give him negative ratings. The poll of 1,375 adults, including 1,248 registered voters, was conducted by telephone from Friday through Monday.
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